Hammond kicks off campaign for Knox Co. criminal court clerk

Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond formally kicked off his campaign for criminal court clerk on Wednesday.

Hammond has served on the Knox County Commission since 2004.

A WBIR 10News investigation unveiled a series of problems inside the court clerk's office that led to wrongful arrests, wrongfully revoked licenses and unwarranted convictions.

Hammond says he wants to end the controversy and make the office more efficient.

"And so I just feel like we need to get into that office, modernize it so they're not using pencil and paper and they're using computers and technology, and that the staff is adequately trained. And the other issue is communication. I want to make sure that every single day I'm communicating with the courts, the lawyer, the sheriff, the district attorney's office, everybody involved," said Hammond.

McCroskey replaced her predecessor, Martha Phillips, who died during her term. McCroskey was elected in 2010 and says she plans to run again.